Philadelphia Defamation Attorneys

Protecting Clients from Defamation, Libel & Slander Since 1958

We have all heard the phrase, "sticks and stones can break my bones,
but words will never hurt me." While that may be a good approach
to playground bullies, it certainly isn't as true when it comes to
our careers, personal life, professional life, or business interests.
Words can cause serious and costly damage. Since 1958, The Beasley Firm
has represented public figures, politicians, physicians, television personalities,
journalists, business owners, teachers, and many others that have been
seriously harmed by slanderous and hatefully written or spoken words.
Our award-winning defamation attorneys are more than capable seeking justice
and ensuring your reputation is protected. Since our founding, we have
won over $2 billion on behalf of our clients.

Definition of Defamation

Essentially, defamation is any statement that harms someone's reputation.
If it is written, the defamation is called libel. If it is spoken, the
defamation is called slander. While defamation is not legally considered
a crime, it is legally considered a tort, meaning that it is a civil wrong.
Defamation laws vary according to state, however it is generally accepted
that the person being "defamed" must prove that the defamation
was published in some way, that it was false, and that it harmed them.
Defamation is not simply an offensive opinion, it is a false statement
of fact about another person.

Defamation Case Victories

The Beasley Firm has years of experience handling defamation cases. In
fact, one of our clients, a reporter, wrote a book about his experience
with our founding attorney, Jim Beasley Sr., entitled "The Courtroom
Cowboy." Attorney Jim Beasley Sr. was devoted to fighting for the
truth. The firm today upholds his bold and unwavering position in matters
of defamation, libel, and slander.

Here are just some of our awards that helped our clients clear their names:

Sprague v. Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc.: $34 million libel verdict, the largest defamation award in Pennsylvania
history. The Beasley Firm sued the Philadelphia Inquirer and won $34 million
on behalf of Richard Sprague, who was accused of quashing a murder investigation
when he was acting as Philadelphia's Assistant District Attorney.

McDermott v. PNI: $6 million libel verdict in a case where The Beasley Firm represented
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice James McDermott after a newspaper series
titled "Above the Law," accused Justice McDermott, and others
on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, of corruption and unethical behavior.
The jury deliberated for nine hours and awarded Justice McDermott $3 million
compensatory and $3 million punitive damages.

Cipriano v. PNI: CONFIDENTIAL settlement (the Philadelphia City Paper said it was "widely
rumored to be for as much as $7 million"). This case is the only
known time that a reporter sued his own employer for libel. Ralph Cipriano
was a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer for over 20 years; while working
the religion beat, he had uncovered massive corruption in the Catholic
Church. When Cipriano tried to have the Inquirer publish his story exposing
the Archdiocese for extravagant spending while at the same time closing
parochial schools, the newspaper's editor refused to publish it. Reporter
Cipriano had the article instead published in the National Catholic Reporter.
When the newspaper's editor was asked why the Inquirer hadn't
didn't publish the piece, Cipriano's boss accused him of writing
false information.

Laxalt v. Sacramento Bee: We represented then-Senator Paul Laxalt (R, Nev) against the Sacramento
Bee, which reported that Laxalt was "skimming" profits from
a casino in which he had an interest. For the first time in its history,
the paper published a retraction and paid over $750,000.00.

Hilary Koprowski, M.D. v. Rolling Stone Magazine: Dr. Koprowski is credited as being one of the creators of the polio vaccine.
Rolling Stone magazine wrote an article accusing Dr. Koprowski of causing
AIDS - the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) due to his work with monkeys
on the Polio vaccine. We brought suit against Rolling Stone and, among
other things, they published a detailed retraction to clear Dr. Koprowski's name.

Substantial CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT and a retraction for a prominent local attorney who was ambushed in his
office and accused by the news media of not having the correct qualifications
to operate the aircraft he unfortunately crashed. This case was significant
in that we were able to have this attorney considered a private figure
in spite of his prominence in the national legal community.

Henne M.D. v. Thomas Jefferson University and Feldman, M.D.: CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT for a libel suit against Dr. Henne's employer,
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, for defaming the emergency room
physician's name due to him refusing to preferentially direct patients
away from their regular doctors and to Jefferson University to increase
business to the hospital.

Confidential Settlement for Rob Guarino: Former Fox Philly 29 News meteorologist and weatherman, and founder of
www.liveweatherblogs.com against a former business partner who posted
false and defaming comments about Mr. Guarino on the liveweatherblogs.com web site.

As you can see, our firm's extensive history in defamation law has
led to many victories on our clients' behalf. We aggressively defend
your name and fight to ensure your reputation is undamaged.

Clear Your Name with a Skilled Philadelphia Defamation Lawyer!

Doctors, journalists, business owners, attorneys, and political leaders
have all turned to The Beasley Firm when they were defamed. Our success
shows that we not only got compensation for them for their pain and losses,
but also cleared their names. To date, our clients have been awarded over
$2 billion in settlements and verdicts. If you or a loved one has suffered
due to defamation, libel, or slander, contact one of our experienced Philadelphia
defamation attorneys at (215) 866-2424. We always offer a free, no obligation
consultation.

Please note that we normally represent clients with claims against major
media companies, such as newspapers, television stations, magazines, and
book publishers, and their employees. We do not typically pursue claims
against individuals for Facebook comments, accusations in the workplace,etc.

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The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Please
note: All cases are different and past results do not predict future case outcomes.

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